Issues - Growing Divide

Today, the top one percent of our society holds 24% of the total wealth in the country. This is the most intense concentration of wealth at the top of the ladder since 1929. At UFE, we believe that the growing economic division between the super-wealthy and the middle class is bad for our communities, our democracy, and our future.

This amazing web video, posted by YouTube user, politizane, animates research about the dramatic differential between people's perceptions and the reality of the wealth divide in the United States. Their findings suggest that Americans overwhelmingly want to live in a more equal society—like Sweden's, specifically—but also that too many people just don't know how bad the economic situation has gotten.

UFE is hosting our renowned Training of Trainers Institute this June in our own backyard in Boston, MA. We invite organizers, activists, educators, students, and others across the U.S. who want to join and advance the movement for greater equality.

As banal as it sounds, young people kind of are our future. Peaceful protest has helped to generate positive change throughout U.S. history. Should we not encourage the youth community to be more engaged in this way?

Tell the your elected officials to preserve and strengthen the estate tax. In the face of the fiscal cliff, raising more revenue from the estate tax is the best solution to avoid painful cuts. Preserving vital social programs (like Head Start, food stamps, and community development block grants) is more important than tax breaks for the top 0.15% of Americans. But this isn’t just about the dollar figures. It’s about our shared values as a society and the creation of equal opportunities for everyone.